PPG

AGENCY
By: Madhumita Shankar
 Types of injuries that occur due to manual
tasks
02
When doing manual tasks that include lifting, pushing or pulling it can result in serious
injuries such as:
➢ sprains and strains of muscles, ligaments and tendons and back injuries
➢ joint and bone injuries
➢ nerve injuries
➢ soft tissue injuries such as hernias
➢
 WHS NSW
The Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW) (the Act) provides a framework to
protect the health, safety and welfare of all workers and others in relation to NSW
workplaces and work activities.

The Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW) regulates workplace health and safety
(WHS) in NSW. It specifically aims to protect people at workplaces from risk to their
health or safety and to promote safe and healthy work environments.

The Work Health and Safety Regulations provide much of the practical guidance and
detail. The Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011 are made under the Work
Health and Safety Act 2011 which detail what is required to support the duties in the
Act specify the way some duties must be carried out set the procedural and
administrative requirements of the Act, such as licences for specific activities. It also
allows us to grant an exemption to an organisation from complying with a Regulation.
 RISK FACTORS
Typical risk factors that can increase the risk of injury can include:

➢ Type of work – working in a fixed posture for a prolonged period of time layout of the
workspace such as cramped or poorly designed workspace can force people to
assume awkward postures like bending or twisting
➢ Weight of an object – a heavy load may be difficult to lift and carry
➢ Duration and frequency - increasing the number of times an object is handled or the
length of time for which it is handled
➢ Condition of an object – more effort may be required to manipulate badly designed
or poorly maintained equipment
 HOW TO ELIMINATE THE RISK
After identifying workplace hazards you can do several things to control the risk
of manual handling injuries. These tips can help reduce injury at home as well as
at work such as:

➢ Change the task such as ask ‘Does this task need to be carried out? If so,
does it have to be done this way?’
➢ Change the object for example, repack a heavy load into smaller parcels
➢ Change the workplace for example, use ergonomic furniture and make
sure work benches are at optimum heights to limit bending or stretching
➢ Offer proper training as inexperienced workers are more likely to be
injured
➢ Use personal protective equipment (PPE)
HOW TO SUBSTITUTE THE RISK

Examples of substitution controls can include:

➢ Using products or materials with lower levels of the hazardous substance
➢ Using tools or equipment that generate lower levels of the hazardous
substance
➢ Using chemicals or materials that generate lower levels of the hazardous
substance. For example, herbicides or fertilisers that cause high levels of
dust can be replaced with granular or liquid formations
➢ Using ingredients or products that have a stabiliser to minimise fume and
vapour production replacing high toxicity paints, glues and varnishes
with lower toxicity or non-toxic alternatives
➢ Using a product that does not need to be cut, ground or polished
ENGINEERING CONTROLS:

➔ Modifying equipment or the workspace

➔ Using ventilation
➔ Avoid the need for manual handling
➔ Reduce the load risk by using lighter weights or
more stable containers
➔ Reorganise the activity or environment to further
reduce the impact on the individuals
 ADMINISTRATIVE CONTROLS:
➔ Ensure appropriate rest breaks, job rotation and training is involved
➔ Provide personal protective equipment
➔ Change the design or layout of work areas to minimise manual
handling
 FEEDBACK:
★ Encourage people to offer new ideas and to speak up about things that aren't going well is crucial

★ Make sure that there is time on the agenda of meetings for people to bring up new ideas and opportunities for
improvement.

★ Listen to what they tell you, reward people who speak up – even if their ideas aren't ultimately pursued.

★ Feedback clarifies expectations, helps people learn from their mistakes and builds confidence. Positive feedback is
easy and it's not hard to find the right words to tell someone they've done a good job, or congratulate them on
meeting a sales target.
★ A strategy to give feedback is to open by stating the behaviour in question, then describing how you feel about it, and
ending with what you want. ...

Tips for receiving feedback include:

➔ Listen to the message
➔ Do not defend or argue
➔ Clarify if you are unsure